Automatic brick-handling machine.



W. H. ALLEN. AUTOMATIC BRICK HANDLI NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17. 1914.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

jLnLLLJIi NVENTOR.

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W. H. ALLEN.

AUTOMATIC BRICK HANDLING MACHI-NE. APPLICATION PILBD APR.1'1, 1914.

1,125,630. Patented Jan. 19,1915. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTO/(NERI W75! E /fy A WILLIAM H. ALLEN, OF MOMENCE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR0F ONE-HALF T0 0. E. COOK,

' 0F GRANT PARK, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC BIRIC.TAI-HAIIDLIINGv MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

retreated' aan. ieders.

ITo all wnom it may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ALIEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Momence, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticBrick-Handling Machines, of which the following is a'specication.

This invention isa machine for facilitating the handling of bricks.

The invention embodies improvements in that type of machines comprisinga plurality of lifting members arranged in spaced relationso as to beinserted between spaced bricks arranged in a row, together with meansfor actuating these lifting members whereby to cause the same to .engageand grip the bricks firmly so that the latter may he carried oit to asuitable point of deposit.

The improvements embodied in this' inven'tion involve primarily thelifting members and certain associated gripping devices that arecapableof being actuated upon grasping a suitable handle or equivalentpart and raisingthe machine to lift the engaged row of brickspreliminary to carry ing the same od.

An especial object of the invention has beento produce a brick handlingmachine wherein the gripping means and the actuating mechanism thereforare very simple in arrangement and construction, comprised of,

as few parts as practicable, and possessed of great durability andsubstantiality so as to stand the utmost wear and tear which machines ofthis sort are subjected to under practical conditions of service.

A. complete understanding of the inven tion including the details ofconstruction and the advantages thereof will be readily hadon review ofthe following description, and reference to the appended drawingswherein,

Figure 1 is a sectional view ot a machine embodying the invention,thelifting members and gripping devices being shown in plan view. Fig. 2is a'. rear view of the same.- Fig. 3 is an end elevation, dotted linesshowingthe bricks as when engaged bv the device. Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken apnrximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.' Fig. 5 is 'a sectionon the line 5--5 of Fig. 1. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views similar to Figs.1, 2 and 3 respectively, showing a modified embodiment of the invention.Fig.

9 is a sectional view taken through the gripper actuating mechanism,certain parts being broken away. Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken onthe line 10-10 of Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 1s a fragmentary section on theline 11-11 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the construction illustrated lby Figs. 1 to 5 of thedrawings the body of my brick handling machine may be said to comprise afront plate 1 and a relatively movable rear plate 2. These plates areconnected togetherJ by Jastenings 3, consisting preferably of headedmembers on 4 the plate 1 and whichpass throughslots 4 ofthe plate 2,thereby permitting of thevrelative movement of these parts abovementioned. Verticalmembers 5 in the form of angle'ba'rs I projectupwardly from the ends of the plate 2 and are rigidly secured to saidplate by suitable fastenings. VAt their upper portions the members 5receive and have suitably secured thereto the cross -bar 6 which.constitutes a handle. A chain 7, broken away in the illustration, may besecured to the handle or bar 6 and facilitates the connectron of liftingtackle to the machine for.` obvious purposes.

@Estanding from the front side of the plate 1 are the lifting members 8each ,of which consists of an arm rigidly attached to said plate. Themembers 8 are arranged in spaced'relation and each member has one plainside, and its opposite side -is recessed so as to receive therein rockerarms V9 (see Fig. 4). The arms 9 are mounted on a shaft 10 which isjournaled in and longitudinally of the arm 8, said shaft passingthrcughthe plate l and terminating at its rear end in a recess on theinner face of the plate 2 in which recess operates an interrupted teethpinion 11 the teeth of which engage the teeth of a rack 12 which isfastened rigidly tothe rear plate 2 bv fastenings 13. The pinion 11secured to the shaft 10 to rotate therewit The shaft 10 preferablycarries several of the' rocker4 arms 9 with the upper ends of which ispivotally connected at tlf* the grip r 1li. -The gripper 14 consists'ota plate arranged longitudinally of the litting member 8 with which it isassociated and owing to' the 'manner in which it is mounted said platel'llwhen engaging a brick received vbetween it and the adiacent spacedmember 8 will aceommodate itseltto inequalities in l1@ l the Surface ofthe brick with which it contacts. Y

It is to be'understood that each lifting member 8 excepting onedesignated 8a, is provided With an actuating mechanism comprising theparts 9, .10, 11, and 12, t0 o crate its gripper.v Thus it is that intte operation of the.' invention the various parts being normallyAarranged as shown in14`ig. 1, the arms 8 are linserted in spacesbetween a row of bricks previously arranged in spaced relation to behandled by this invention. This done, by raising the machine either bygrasping the handle 6 or connect ing tackle with the chain 7, theinitial up- Ward pull on the machine causes the plate 2 to move upwardrelatively to the. plate 1, carrying the racks 12 upward a slightdistance -and rotating the various pinions 1]. TheV movement of thepinions 11 is transmitted to the shafts 10, the latter being 'locked toforce the grippers 14 away from their respective members 8, intopositive gripping engagement with the bricks. Subsequent upwardlmovement of the machineraises the plates 1 and 2 together, `with theconnecting parts, and all ofthe bricks which are engaged by the grippersof the various lifting members, in a manner Well understood in thisparticular art. v

ln the modication illustrated' in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive somewhat thesame principle of action will be' noted, the main parts of the machineof the modication, namely 1', 2', 5f', 6', 7 and 8' being equivalent tothe parts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 andv B- above described. HoWeverthe actuatingmechanism for the grippers 14 is somewhat dilerent. The plates 1' and 2Vhave the same relative movement as.- in the first describedconstruction.

Dneach of the lifting members 8' is mounted a rocker arm l15. pivotallyconnected at one cmd with the gripper 14', theA other end of said: armbeing joualna'led in the member 8' as shown at the point 16 and beingformed near its axis with the toothed sector 15'. The'secator 15 mesheswith the teeth of the longitudinal rack 17 ons the member 8. 'The rack17, has other teethvvhich -mesli Vwith a pinion 18 on a stub shaft 19'journaled in the plate 1'. @n this shaftl) is a second pinion 20 theteeth of 'which engage `a rack 21 secured' to the plate 2' by fasten- Inthe construction as modified the lifting of the machine Vby means ofeither the parts 6' or v7' calmes the initial upward increment .of theplate-2 relative to the plate 1. Such movement causes the rack 21 toturn the shaft 19 through themedi-um of the pinion 20, and the pinion18imparts this-movement to the ment to the rocker arm 15 forcing ltbelatter outward with its gripper 14! so as :to cause the latter to firmlyengage the brick. The

tive positions, brick rack 17 which transmits said moves actuatingmechanism just described is of course duplicated for each of the liftingmembersS' excepting one which 1s designated 8a" located at one endvofthe machine. v Y

lt is contemplated to interpose springs 23 between the plates 1 and 2 or1' and 2'; so as to'cause said plates to normally assume .the positionsillustrated in Figs. 2 and 7. The springs constitute normalizing meansVcoacting with the gripping instrumentalities in an obvious manner. Thesprings 23 are caused to coperate with the parts 1 and 2, or 1' and 2',by the'provision of angle plates 23 and Q3" carried by said partsrespectively. Lateral 23' and 23" are so Aarranged that one end of thespring 23 engages said portion of the plates 23' and 23", the other endof the spring bearingagainst a short plunger correspondingly engaged bythe plate 23'. T he action of thespring 23 is ell'ective to hold theparts in the normal positions seen in Fgsl, 3,' 8 and 11.

' Having thus described the'invention, what l claim as new is l. ln abrick handling machine, the combination of coperating plates arrangedside by side, connections between said plates permitting, relativemovement of the same, mea-ns connected with one of the plates forraising Athe machine bodily, springs disposed intermediate said plates,members carried by the plates and coperating with opposite ends of saidsprings so that the latter hold the plates normally in predeterminedrelagrippers carried by Ythe other of the plates, and means operable bythe plates in their relative movement to ellgect actuation of the saidgrippers.

2. ln a brick handling machine, the combination of coperating platesmounted side by side and contacting with one another. means mora-blyattaching the pla-tes together, elevating means for the machineoperatively connected with one of the plates, lifting-members projectingfrom the other plate, grippersmovably mounted on said liftingmembersgdevices Wholly housed between the plates and operativelyconnected with said grippers and .with the' plates whereby on relativemovement of the plates the grippers will be actuated, springs alsohoused between the plates, and means on the plates coactingwith'said'springs whereby the latter hold the plates normally inpredetermined relative positions. x

3. In a brick handling machine the combination of relatively movableplates, means for causing relative ,movement of said plates, liftingmembers carried by one 'of 'the plates, grippers mounted o n the liftingmembers, and

plates and the grippers intermediate said for actuating the latter onrelative movement 0f `the plates.

means portions of the angle plates y 4c. In a brick'ha'ndling machine`the combination of relatively movable plates, means for causing relativemovement of said plates, lifting members carried by one of the plates,grippers mounted on the-lifting members, andvl means intermediate saidplates and the grippers for actuating the latter on relative movement ofthe plates, said last named means including rocker arms pivoted on thelifting members, pivotal connections between said arms andthe grippers,racks carried by one of the plates, pinions associatedwith thev other ofthe plates and operable by said racks and connected with the rockerarms. to shift the latter with their grippers. n

5. In a brick handling machine, the combination of relatively movableplates, .con-

Vnections between said plates, raising means `for the machine attachedto one of the plates,

lifting members projecting from the other plate, movable gripperscarried by said liftmg'members, and operating means for said grlppershoused between said plates and coinprising racks. carried by one of theplates, pinions carried by the other plate and meshing with the racks,and shafts operatively connecting said pinions with the grippers.

6. In a brick handling machine the combination of a body composed ofplates slidable in contactwith one another, in and slot connectionsintermediate said) plates permitting sliding of one upon the other, ahandle connected with one of the plates whereby to lift the machine andthus permit relative movement of the plates, grippers carried by theother plate, and means intermediate the grippers and the rst mentionedplate whereby on relative movement of the plates the grippers will beactuated. v

7. In a brick handling machine the combination of a body composed ofplates slid-v able one against the other, fastenings intermediate saidplates permitting sliding of one upon the other, a handle connected withoneof the plates whereby to lift the machine and thus permit relativemovement of the plates, grippers carried by the other plate,`and rackand pinion devices housed by and arranged intermediate said plateswhereby on relative movement of the plates the grippers will beactuated, and spring means coacting with the plates to yieldingly holdthe same in predetermined positions.

8. In a brick handling machine, the combination of coperating platesarranged with adjacent sides in movable contacting relation, connectionsmovably attaching the plates together, means for elevating the machineconnected withone of the plates, lift. ing members projecting from theother plate at right angles to the latter, grippers applied to sides ofthe lifting members, a shaft disposed longitudinally of each liftingmember, connections between said shaft and adjacent gripper, and rackand pinion devices housed between the plates, said devices comprisingracks rigidly mounted on one of the plates, and pinions rigid with theaforesaid shafts carried by the lifting members of theother plate, saidpinions being in meshing relation with respect to the racks. i

9. In a brick handling machine the combination of a body composed ofrelatively movable plates, means connected with one of the plateswhereby to raise the machine, grippers carried by the other of theplates, and means intermediate said grippers and plates operable onrelative movement of the plates` to effect movement of the grippers,said means comprising, racks and pinions meshing with the racks, bothmounted on and between the plates aforesaid, lmembers operable by thepinions and connected directly with the grippers to actuate the same,springs between the plates, the plates having members to engage oppositeends yof the springs so that the latter act to hold the plates inpredetermined positions and torestore the same after relative movement.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

ZoA Com,

E. P. HARNEY.

